


Road Trip!

by Happy_Pappy_Patton



Series: Sanders Sides Ship Oneshots! [6]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Being Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Flirting, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Remy is the third creativity bro, Soft Deceit | Janus Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, and Remus - Freeform, janus too, just a bunch of fluff, patton and Logan are dads, roman is tired, sporadic references to random stuff, virgil is a shameless flirt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:48:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24691804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happy_Pappy_Patton/pseuds/Happy_Pappy_Patton
Summary: Roman has been in the car with his chaotic brothers and peppy dad for too long. Thankfully, a cashier at a gas station in the middle of nowhere makes it his duty to make the poor prince smile... no matter what
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Logicality, Prinxiety, demus - Relationship
Series: Sanders Sides Ship Oneshots! [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746889
Comments: 28
Kudos: 206





	Road Trip!

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this was just a fun lil fic, hope you enjoy it! Leave a kudo and a comment please!

Roman was, for lack of a better term, losing his absolute shit. He had been in the car for four hours straight (gay) now, sat in the middle seat of all things, squished firmly between the two most annoying people on the planet. His two brothers, Remy and Remus.

The two had now taken to screaming Lady Gaga at the top of their lungs, deafening Roman from all angles. He groaned, just wanting to this stupid road trip to be over with. Usually he would be all for belting his queen’s lyrics along with them, but he was thoroughly exhausted at this point, and felt like he was going crazy. He loved his grandfather as much as the next person, but there was no way the seven hour car ride with his brothers was worth it.

“Padre?” Roman called to the front, leaning in to be heard over the screeching of song lyrics.

“Hey, kiddo! What can I do ya for?” His dad responded happily, turning from the passenger seat.

“Do you think we can stop somewhere soon? I’m starving, and I really need a break from these two.” He explained. Patton chuckled.

“Let me check the GPS! Hmmmmm…” he mused as he looked at the phone. “Looks like there’s a gas station a few miles away, does that work, kiddo? We’re sort of in the middle of nowhere, so ya might have to make do.”

“Anything works at this point.” Roman said exasperatedly. Patton beamed, turning to his husband in the driver's seat.

“What do you think, honey? Do we have time in your schedule for a rest stop?” Logan just sighed, not taking his eyes off of the road. The other man looked about as tired as Roman felt. Nobody trusted Patton to drive, so Logan had been the one at the wheel the entire time.

“I’m sure we have time, dear.” He said sweetly. Roman smiled, leaning back.

“Thanks, dad.” He said with a yawn. It only took a few minutes for the family to reach the gas station, the long dirt road allowing them to drive faster than usual.

“Alright, kiddos! Time for a break!” Patton said, hopping out of the car. Remy was silent next to Roman, for the first time in hours, and the prince looked over to see the man completely lost in his phone screen, probably texting someone.

Remus, on the other hand, was already out of the car and on the other side of the parking lot, and Roman could only assume he had made several plans on how to wreak as much havoc as possible in the short amount of time.

He watched Logan step out of the car as well, going to fill up the car, stopping halfway to join hands with Patton.

“Right… uh, I’m gonna go buy some snacks, I’ll meet you back here in a few minutes.” Roman said, not really caring if anyone heard.

“Try not to get murdered.” He heard Remy deadpan from the car, not even looking up. Roman just rolled his eyes, continuing.

He let out a loud sigh of relief as he pushed through the doors of the small convenience store, feeling the air conditioning wash over him, a welcome change from the burning desert heat outside.

He looked around, relishing in the silence he heard, and the lack of people he saw. He wandered up and down the linoleum aisles in a daze, picking up random items only to set them down again and keep walking. It was so blissful, he was finally alone, and-

“Um, are you actually going to buy anything? Or can I put my headphones back on?”

Roman’s head snapped up in annoyance, ready to make a trademark sarcastic remark, but then he caught sight of the man behind the counter, and anger quickly turned to a mixture of shock, and pure, unadulterated, gay panic.

“Sorry for disrupting your, like, seance or whatever with the trail mixes, but my break starts in like 10 minutes,” the angel mumbled. It took Roman a few seconds to remember how to speak before he finally squeaked out,

“S-sorry…”

The cashier chuckled, and Roman forgot how to breathe.

“It’s fine. But seriously, you good?” The man questioned. Roman sighed.

“I wish I could say I was. I’m on the world's longest road trip with my family to visit my grandpa. Which is fine, or, rather, it would be, if my brothers weren’t the two most annoying people in the world. I’m just soooo done with them, and it was nice to be alone I suppose. Wasn’t really thinking.” Roman explained. The man gave him a lopsided smirk that almost made his knees give out.

“Well, sorry about that. And sorry to interrupt.” He mumbled. Roman watched as the boy casually pulled his purple hood off of his head, revealing a perfectly messy mop of equally as purple hair.

“No!” Roman exclaimed, a little too quickly. “Ah, I mean, you didn’t interrupt anything. Honestly, it’s refreshing to talk to someone so… sane.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. The other man laughed, covering it with his hand. Holy shit, this guy was too adorable.

“You know, I think that’s the first time anyone has ever used that adjective to describe me. But I’ll take it as a compliment.”

Roman smirked, suddenly feeling his usual flirtatious nature return.

“Oh? And what adjectives are you used to, then? More along the lines of, adorable? Beautiful? Stunning, perhaps?”

To his delight, he saw the other man blush, flipping his hood back up and turning away.

“You know, never really those either.” He muttered, clearly trying to remain snarky. It wasn’t working. Roman just hummed.

“Well, perhaps they should be, then.” Just then, he heard a loud crash from outside, breaking the pair out from their trance. He heard the sound of Remus laughing loudly, screaming something Roman couldn't make out.

“What the fuck?!” The other exclaimed, shooting up from his seat. Roman groaned.

“Don’t bother. That would be one of my brothers. Remus, probably. Don’t worry, my dads are watching him, whatever that was probably wasn’t illegal.” He mumbled, folding his arms on the counter in front of the Emo angel and resting his head in his elbow. The other hummed, sitting back down.

“Well, as long as it won’t get me fired or sued, I don’t really care. Being a broke gay teenager usually doesn’t help you in court, so I hope it doesn’t come to that.” He mused.

“Amen.” Roman mumbled, head still in his hands. He heard the other sigh loudly, and he looked up.

"Alright, Mr. Disaster gay." The man chuckled. "Come on. You're bringing down the room here, and that's coming from me. So, here's the deal. I'm not letting you leave here until you're happy and energetic again." He offered, tilting up Romans chin. Roman swallowed hard, trying to keep himself calm.

"Well, I'm not gonna argue with that I suppose. I will warn you though, it’s not going to be easy. You may be cute, but not as cute as my brothers are annoying.”

Fuck. He did not actually say that. _This is one of those outbursts you internalise, dumbass._

The cashier made a small strangled noise from the base of his throat, then quickly changed the subject, much to Roman’s modification and simultaneous relief. “Let’s see… how does a seagull make a-”

“I swear to god, if you finish that joke I will rip your throat out,” Roman hissed. "You have no idea how many beach puns I had to hear when we passed literally any body of water. I swear, my dad would make a joke about a rock if it stood there long enough.”

"You know what, fair enough. Honestly, better for me too, I hate puns." The emo said.

"So, what else do you have up your sleeve?" Roman questioned.

"Well, I was going to sing, but all the songs I know are edgy as shit, and you don't exactly look like a My Chemical Romance fan." The angel snickered.

"You got me there." Roman agreed. "But come on, surely you know something that isn't dark." He prompted. He wanted to hear the emo sing more than anything.

"Uh, other than, like, children's cartoon theme songs, not really." He mumbled.

"Well then, let's take a trip down nostalgia lane, shall we?" Roman teased. The cashier rolled his eyes, but inhaled nonetheless.

“Alright, here goes nothing.” He bit his bottom lip before starting to sing in a haunting, low croon:

_“I love you_  
_You love me_  
_We’re a happy family_  
_With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you_  
_Won’t you say you love_  
_Me_  
_Too?”_

His voice wavered at the last two words, but it was still one of the most beautiful things the Prince had ever heard. Or would’ve been, at least, if he’d been singing literally anything else. As it was, Roman grimaced, and only stopped when he realised that the cute cashier must have gotten the wrong idea.

“Well damn, princey, I knew I wasn’t great, but you look like you’re in pain.” His voice was sarcastic, but his face couldn’t quite hide the disappointment.

“No! No, no, that’s not it at all. In fact, I’m more than impressed, that was lovely. I just… leave it to my brothers to ruin literally everything. Remus once told six year old me that the man under the Barney costume was a raging alcoholic who hid guns under his suit. I know it was stupid, but at the time it scared me, and I haven’t been able to look at that show the same way ever since. So, trust me, it wasn’t you. Just the song.”

The cashier stared at him for a good five seconds before bursting out laughing.

“Hey!” Roman squealed indignantly. “Don’t fucking laugh!”

“I’m sorry, sorry,” he wheezed. “It’s just… god, I thought you hated me for a second, and it turns out you’re just scared of the literal embodiment of childhood. I can’t, I cannot-”

Roman rolled his eyes, doing his best to suppress his own laughter. The cashier was just too adorable, but he knew the moment he laughed, the other would have no reason to keep talking to him. So he held his breath, waiting for the emo to finish.

“Come on, Hot Topic. Hit me with your best shot.” he prompted. The other finally calmed down enough to continue talking, wondering aloud.

“Hmmm, well, let’s see. Ooh, what if I gave you free shit? I’m not supposed to, but, fuck it. I can make an exception for you. If free snacks don’t make you smile, nothing can,” he offered.

“Hah, usually that would do me no end of good. But I’m not going to make it that easy for you, my Emo Nightmare.” he felt his heart flutter when he saw the other blush, once again having to fight to keep his smile down.

“You’re so difficult.” he muttered. But, before Roman could respond, he saw the other’s eyes light up. “I’m not complaining, though. I love a challenge.” the emo winked as he leaned over the counter, and Roman felt dizzy.

“I- uh- that’s… cool?” he finally squeaked out, earning another laugh.

“Wow, Princey, you ok? You’re swooning like a damsel in distress. I feel the need to catch you in my arms and defend your honour.”

Roman knew he was probably slack-jawed, no longer bothering to hide his blush.

“I- I mean- I probably wouldn’t say no if you did…” he mumbled.

The cashier simpered. “Careful there, babe. Someone might think you’ve fallen for me with such bold implications.”

“Y- yeah? And what if that someone was right?” he said, suddenly more confident. It was the emo’s turn to blush and stammer.

“I- wait- are you serious?” he stuttered, breaking character. Roman shrugged.

“Do you want me to be?” he said, finally letting his eyes meet the other’s.

“If I said yes, what would you do?” the angel said hesitantly.

“Well, I guess we’d have to find out, wouldn’t we?” he said, voice barely a whisper. He didn’t even try to stop himself from stealing a glance at the emo’s lips.

“Then, yes, princey. I do. I really, really do.” he responded, his voice equally as low. Roman didn’t hesitate, surging forward, pressing his lips against the emo’s. The angel returned the kiss with equal intensity, running his hands through Roman’s hair. Roman broke away for just enough to sigh happily at the feeling, before diving back in.

Roman felt the other shift, vaguely registering that the emo had moved into a sitting position on the counter, finding any way to get closer to the prince. Neither had any idea how long they stayed like that, the cashier wrapped tightly around the now significantly less frustrated prince, in their own world.

It was Roman who broke away first, his arms still wound around the other’s waist, taking a moment to appreciate the perfect man in front of him. They were both beaming widely, Roman letting a small giggle escape him when the emo ran his finger down the tired man’s jawline.

“Well would you look at that. Seems like I succeeded after all, huh princey?” he teased. Roman chuckled.

“You know, I think this road trip just got a lot more bearable. And I now see how wrong I was when I said my brothers were more annoying than you are cute. You’re more than cute, you’re perfect.” he mumbled, still slightly dazed. The emo hummed, twisting a strand of Roman’s hair around his finger, letting his legs swing freely over the edge of the counter. Roman couldn’t resist, he leaned back in, giving the angel another long, slow kiss.

His heart leapt into his throat when he finally pulled away and saw the emo’s dark eye’s meet his own, seeing them brimming with tears.

“Darling?” he said softly, searching his eyes. The emo hesitated, but when he spoke again, it broke Roman’s heart.

“P-please don’t. Don’t make me get any more attached to you than I already am.” he muttered. Roman felt his broken heart sink into his stomach.

“Love, what are you talking about?” Roman said, wiping the tear gently off of his cheek. The angel whimpered quietly, leaning into the touch.

“Don’t you get it? Princey, we’re never going to see each other again. We’re never going to see each other again, and I’m such an idiot that I just had to fall for you. And you had to give me hope. God, fuck you for being so hot. Actually, no, I could deal with that. But you also had to be funny, and sweet, and _like me back?_ That fucking _never_ happens, but of course, the second it did, it had to be like this. This is proof that the world hates the gays. This isn’t fucking fair. I don’t want to live the rest of my life knowing I was so close to being with someone this amazing, and never getting to kiss you again. Or even see you again.” he ranted, fully crying by now.

Roman pressed his forehead against the emo’s, cupping his face gently.

“Stop that nonsense talk right now, my dear, before you make me cry too.” he whispered.

“You know it’s true, though, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t. You’re the most amazing person I’ve met in a long time, and there is nothing on this earth that could possibly stop me from being with you.”

“You don’t even know my fucking name. I don’t know yours. And I live in the middle of jack-shit nowhere, in a tiny town you’re literally never going to come back to. In a few hours, I’m just going to be a memory. That guy you met in a small town one day. It won’t matter.” he said, voice breaking.

“Don’t you ever think that. I will remember you forever, you’re so important. And It’s Roman.” he said softly. He watched the other’s head snap up, eyes glimmering.

“Roman.” he breathed. The prince shivered. He had never really liked his name, hating how similar it was to his other twins, but something about the way it rolled off of the cashier's tongue made him think twice.

“Look, I know you think this is the end. But I promise, it isn’t. It’s just the beginning, dearest. I will find you again, and I won’t stop until you’re back in my arms.” he heard the emo chuckle, his voice still hoarse from crying.

“Y-you’re s-so extra.” he choked out. Roman just smirked. He took another moment to stare into his prince’s eyes, before sighing.

“Okay, babe. My family is probably waiting in the car, wondering if I’ve been murdered, so I think I have to return to them. Unfortunately. I wish I could just pretend my brothers didn’t exist, but alas, I cannot.”

He felt another tear slip down his beloved’s cheek, and he had to fight to keep it together.

“Yeah, I know. You’ll live, Ro. Keep me in your mind. Pretend I’m sitting next to you offering you free snacks.”

Roman laughed. “It would be impossible for me to keep you out of it, my love. Oh, and also, I think I might like to take you up on that offer. My dads would be more than a little confused if I spent this long in here and walked out empty handed.”

The angel laughed, gently untangling himself from Roman’s grasp. The prince tried not to feel empty. It was only a minute before the other was pressing a bag of food into his hand, along with another kiss into the crown of his head.

“Oh, and Roman?” the emo asked quietly.

“Yes, dearest?”

“Virgil.”

“Come again?” Roman questioned.

“My name. It’s… Virgil.” the emo muttered, suddenly looking shy again. Roman smiled sadly, rushing forward again to pull the taller man into a tight hug.

“Until we meet again, my darling Virgil.” he whispered. And with that final sentiment, he rushed out of the door, heading to his car again.

The moment Roman stepped back out into the beating sun, he was immediately more tense. He squinted, looking at his car. His dads were sitting back in the front seats, chatting happily. Remy was sat cross legged on the trunk, still on his phone, and Remus was nowhere to be seen. Roman sighed. They were all going about their day normally, blissfully unaware of what had just happened to the oldest twin.

He continued walking forward, opening the car door, slipping into the farthest left seat, claiming it before he got stuck in the middle again.

“Hey RoRo! Got everything?” he heard Patton ask. Roman sighed heavily again.

“If by everything, you mean snacks, then yes. But that’s not what matters. Padre, I fell in love.” Roman said simply. He saw both of his fathers’ eyes light up, turning around quickly.

“What!?” Patton exclaimed.

“I- I met a boy. He was the cashier in the store. We talked for a while, and he saw how stressed I was, and he didn’t let me leave until he… until he made me laugh. And he did. And now I’m sad, because I’m never going to see him again. He was perfect, dad!” Roman whined, sinking down low into his seat.

“Oh, Roman. I’m so sorry, honey. Well, if it makes you feel better, we can stop here again on the way back if you’d like.” Patton offered.

“Yes, it was not part of our initial plan, but I haven’t seen you this passionate in a significant amount of time. If it would make you happy, I too am willing to participate.” Logan agreed. Roman smiled.

“Thank you, I appreciate that. I’d like it.” he said softly. It wasn’t long before Remy had clambered into the middle seat, and Remus appeared out of nowhere, slipping in next to them.

“Ro, I’m starving! Give me some of those gas station snacks!” he heard Remy demand. Roman rolled his eyes, staring longingly out of the window. He leaned down, looking into the plastic bag.

He had to bite his tongue to stifle a gasp when he saw what was wrapped around the several bags of unhealthy snacks. Folded semi-neatly in the white bag was Virgil’s purple and black hoodie. Roman must have been too focused on the man himself to notice he had taken it off, and he was practically giddy with excitement.

“Bro, what the fuck kind of snacks are making you that happy? Just give me some chips, damn.” the rat complained. Roman bit his tongue, debating on whether or not to share the truth with his brother. He quickly decided against it, however.

His experience with Virgil had been borderline magical, and there was no way he was letting his trashy brother ruin that.

“Yeah, sorry. Just hungry.” Roman mumbled. He pulled out a few bags of chips and a pack of pretzels, tossing them in the direction of his annoying siblings.

“Thanks, bro.”

Roman just nodded, turning back to watch the world passing by the windows quickly, wishing more than anything that Virgil was by his side. He let his mind wander as the car finally fell into silence. _I wonder what he’s doing right now._

What Virgil was, in fact, doing right then, was sitting on the counter, freezing cold and crying softly. He was technically on break, but he couldn’t bring himself to get up.

“Virgil?” he heard a voice call. He recognized the voice as his co-worker and friend, Janus.

“Yeah.” he said numbly, voice hoarse and raspy.

“Oh my god, Virge! What happened? What’s wrong!” the man said worriedly, pulling the emo into a tight hug. Virgil returned it happily, and couldn’t help but spill the whole story to him. By the time he had finished, Janus had stepped back, and was positively beaming.

“My baby’s in love! An idiot, but in love.” Janus exclaimed happily.

“Yeah, in love and thoroughly heartbroken. Also, rude? What are you talking about?” Virgil said sharply.

“Virgil, you adorable dumbass. Did you not think to, I don’t know, ask him for his number? We live in the 21st century, it’s hardly impossible to keep in touch with people who are far away.” Janus said simply. Virgil groaned.

“You think I haven’t been kicking myself over that? He kissed me, J! I forgot how to be a person! The over dramatic sappy gay side of my brain took over and I forgot how to think clearly.”

“Aww, Virge. Come on, keep your head up. This guy sounds really special, I’m sure he’ll find you again. Just bury yourself in your hoodie and put your headphones on, I’ll cover your shift today.” Virgil grimaced.

“Right, about that.” he mused. Janus cocked an eyebrow. “I sort of… uh… gave him my hoodie.” he mumbled. Janus burst out laughing.

“Holy shit, yeah. You guys are meant to be. You never leave that thing. If you’re willing to let him take your favorite thing in the world without even knowing you’ll get it back, that’s a sign.” he chuckled. Virgil sighed, his eyes scanning the horizon.

“I really hope you’re right.”

Roman spent the entirety of his vacation wrapped up in Virgil’s hoodie, watching Disney and every cartoon in existence with his grandpa Emile, longing for the moment he could get back to that small store.

His grandfather listened to him closely, the ex therapist talking him through his rollercoaster of emotions, always knowing just what show Roman needed to watch to feel better, knowing exactly which dinner they needed to cook together to make him happy.

Their vacation lasted about four weeks, Remy and Remus spending most of it wreaking havoc on their grandfather's small town, Roman for once not wanting to stop them. The pair were so wrapped up in their own world that they barely noticed Roman’s state, or his new clothing item.

When the four weeks were up, Roman ended up with a newfound love for his Grandpa, respecting him and appreciating him more than he ever did before. He got into his car happy, a new pep in his step.

And then he remembered what was about to happen.

He slipped into the farthest right seat, flipping up the hood of Virgil’s jacket, and took a deep breath in. _Don't get your hopes up, Roman. He might not even be there._

It wasn’t long before his dads had loaded all of their bags into the car, and everyone had said goodbye to Emile, starting back on the long ride home.

“Alright kiddos! Off we go!” Patton said excitedly.

“Indeed. Oh, and Roman?” the prince heard his dad ask.

“Mmhm?”

“Do you still wish to stop at the gas station when we pass it?” Logan asked, starting engine and beginning the drive. Roman’s heart started racing.

“Uh, I mean, if that’s still okay with you guys.” he said gently. He didn’t want to be an inconvenience to his family, but he wanted to see his emo nightmare more than anything.

“Of course! I’m excited!” Patton said happily.

“What are you guys talking about?” he heard Remy ask next to him.

“Yeah, for real. How is Roman already needing to stop? It’s been about two minutes.” Remus agreed.

“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll see,” Patton said, snickering. Roman’s brothers exchanged a confused glance, but apparently decided it wasn’t worth questioning more and continued with what they were doing.

The first few hours in the car passed quickly, Roman barely even registering them. He barely heard the loud singing, Remus’s concerning observations, or Remy’s everlasting rants.

It wasn’t long before Patton was turning around, saying,

“Alright, we’ll be to the gas station in about five minutes!” Roman felt his posture straighten (although everything else became about ten times more gay) and took a shakey breath, pulling the hoodie closer around him.

“I’m 100% going in there with you, Ro. I have no idea what’s happening, but whatever’s in there that makes you look that terrified has to be worth it.” Remy said, laughing at Roman’s panic. As much as he didn’t want his brothers to come inside with him, he couldn’t bring himself to argue.

He knew once Remy was set on something, there was no stopping him. In reality, trying to tell him not to would probably only spur him on more.

“Here we are! You ready, Roman?” Patton asked as they pulled up. The prince sighed.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” he mumbled.

The three brothers stepped out of the car, Remus at some point or another having decided Roman’s crisis was more fun than semi-illegal acts of violence, and Roman hesitated before stepping inside.

He held his breath as he looked around, his heart sinking when he saw someone behind the register who was clearly not Virgil. The man was about the same age, and was dressed similarly, but still, it wasn’t his prince.

“Hey, what can I- oh shit.” the man said, cutting himself off when he looked up. “Holy fucking shit. No way.” the man continued, standing now, staring at Roman like he had discovered something that didn’t exist. (When in doubt, Phineas and Ferb reference am I right?).

“Um- hey? Have you-” Roman started, but he was cut off when the other man hopped the counter in one swift motion, rushing forward and pulling the confused man into a tight hug.

“Roman, what the fuck is happening?” Remy said from beside him.

“God fucking damn. It actually is you.” the other man mused.

“Hey, hot stuff. Can you explain what’s going on?” Remus asked, looking at the other cashier. The other man blushed, but shook it off, stepping back.

“Right, sorry. I’ve just had to listen to Virgil talk about you for like, _four fucking weeks_ , and I didn’t have a face for the name. It was the jacket that showed me. But, uh, yeah, I’m Janus. I know why you’re here, Roman.” the man offered. Roman’s eyes lit up.

“And?” he asked, practically breathless.

“I’ll get him.” Janus said, smirking. The man turned and walked away, pushing open a door that led to the back room.

“What the- Janus! Fuck off, I’m trying to take my break in peace, goddamn.” they heard a deep voice complain. Roman’s heart fluttered. _He’s here._ Remus and Remy were, for the first time in their chaotic lives, speechless. They heard a few more exchanging of words, unable to make them out.

After a moment, they saw the door swing back open, and Janus stepped out, chuckling.

“Brace yourself.” he laughed, turning to Roman. Roman barely had time to ask what he meant before the door had opened once more, revealing…

Virgil. Roman couldn’t stop his grin from spreading as he saw the man standing in the doorway, staring at him, looking completely awestruck. For a few moments, it was if the entire world was holding its breath.

And then, the spell broke. Virgil rushed forward, and Roman barely had time to register that the angel had moved before he was being tackled in a tight hug, Virgil wrapping himself tightly around the prince. Roman laughed, lifting the emo up, kissing him deeply.

The kiss was long and desperate. Roman felt like he had been drowning, and Virgil was the lifeboat.

Neither of them cared about the other three in the room. Janus was sat cross legged on the counter, smirking, more than anything just happy that Virgil would finally shut up about the mysterious man from a few weeks ago. Remy and Remus, on the other hand, were still standing in the doorway, completely slack-jawed, looking stunned.

Roman didn’t break away until he was completely out of breath, still smiling widely.

“Worth the wait?” he asked softly.

“Shut up, princey.” Virgil mumbled into Roman’s shoulder.

“Roman, I say this with all the love in the world. What the FUCK.” Remy asked, looking like he had just seen an alien abduction.

Roman, Janus, and Virgil just laughed, the emo still wrapped tightly in his knight’s embrace.

“You can see why I wanted to stop here again, then?” Roman said smugly.

“Holy shit, yeah. What the hell? And where’s mine!? Why do you get the adorable romance story!? I’m way more of a catch than you are, why do you get the hot guy?” Remus whined. Virgil lifted his head just enough to say,

“You know, more than one hot gay guy works here.”

Remus’s eyes lit up, and he turned to face Janus.

“You’re gay?” he said, smiling.

“I’m offended you have to ask.” the snake hissed.

The rat man giggled, biting his lip. “Well, I’ll have to make that up to you. Got a number, cutie?”

Janus pulled out a stack of cards and handed one to Remus. “Good to know someone in your family knows how to get a number. Seriously, Roman. Up your game.” He turned to point at his coworker. “The 3rd best fish in the pond almost got away from you, and you wouldn’t have been able to do a thing.”

Virgil raised his eyebrows. “Third? How dare you demote me.” he pressed a kiss into Roman’s cheek, as if he were trying to prove his point.

“Sorry, babe. Love you, but you’ve got yourself some serious competition here. When guys like this-” he gestured wildly at Remus, “-exist in the world, even your adorable emo ass doesn’t stand a chance. Though I will admit,” he said, eyeing Roman pointedly, “you could still have done a hell of a lot better than him. No judgement, just saying. His personality has to be amazing.”

Roman made a series of offended Princey noises™️. “How is my brother up there and not me! We’re twins, we have the same fa-”

Virgil cut off his ramblings with a quick kiss. “Don’t mind him, babe, he’s just messing with you.” Sure enough, Janus flashed him a playful wink. “He’s not wrong, though. Maybe get my number before you kiss me senseless and I forget how to function next time, okay?”

Roman blushed wildly.

“Right, sorry. I learned my lesson,” he mumbled. He heard Remus laughing from behind him, and he turned to glare at his twin.

“Oh my god, I love this guy.” he cackled, looking at Janus. Janus blushed profusely, and Remy laughed.

“Okay, this is entertaining as hell, but Ro, you still never answered my question. What the fuck.” the caffeine addict prompted. Virgil laughed.

“I’ve been asking myself the same thing for four weeks.” the emo mused, twisting a strand of the prince’s hair around his finger.

“You guys have to tell us how the hell this happened.” Remus said, eyes wide with curiosity.

“Lord have mercy, _please_ don’t make me sit through the story again. You have no idea how many times I’ve heard it, it’s engraved into my mind.” Janus complained, burying his head in his hands.

“Aw, come on J, please?” Remus said, giving the cashier his best puppy dog eyes. The snake tried to keep a frown across his face, but everyone could see him melting under Remus’s gaze.

“Fine.” he mumbled.

“Yes!” the two other brothers exclaimed at once. Remus grabbed a bag of popcorn off of a shelf next to him, hopping up onto the counter next to Janus, resting his head on the other’s shoulder. The other three laughed as Janus tried and failed to hide his blush.

“Alright, it’s honestly not that long a story.” Virgil said, running a hand through his hair in thought.

Virgil and Roman spent the next few minutes recounting their initial meeting, re-enacting certain parts, enjoying how enthralled the others seemed to be, including Janus. When they had finished, the other three were smiling widely, Remus even wiping a tear from his eye and clapping.

“It’s like a little romcom!” the rat man said excitedly, falling dramatically into Janus’s arms, who just rolled his eyes, ruffling the smaller man’s hair affectionately.

“Yeah, that was cute as shit. And Ro, you didn’t tell us this immediately _why_?” Remy questioned, looking offended. Virgil laughed.

“Dude, weren’t you listening? Honestly. This whole thing literally happened because you two were being annoying.” he mused.

“Exactly! You should really be thanking us, Roman.” Remus said from his position in Janus’s lap. The snake was red as a tomato, and seemed to be unable to speak.

“Nice try, dumbass.” Roman said, rolling his eyes.

“Language, kiddo!” they heard a voice call from the door. They all looked up and whirled around, met with Patton’s beaming face in the doorway.

“Sorry, pops.” Roman chuckled. Virgil and Janus both looked at each other wide-eyed, quickly untangling themselves from their respective partner’s grasps, taking a step back to stand next to each other instead. Roman and Remus looked at each in confusion, annoyed when Remy just laughed, seeming to understand.

“You guys are fine, hon. Our dad is chill.” Remy said, still beaming. The other two let out a sigh of relief.

“Cool. Good to know.” Virgil said, stepping forward.

“Uh, hi? I- my name's Janus.” the snake said softly, holding out his hand to Patton. The father just laughed, moving Janus’s hand and pulling him into a hug.

“No need for formalities. I’m Patton Sanders, and you’ve met my sons, I see.” he said with a laugh. The two cashiers blushed, nodding.

“And what’s your name, kiddo? Roman here has told us a lot about you, but I never got a name.” Patton said, turning to Virgil. The emo blushed, glancing at his boyfriend, who just shrugged.

“Oh, okay. Uh, I’m-” before the emo could finish, the door swung open, and a voice interrupted, saying,

“Virgil?”

The group turned to face the source, seeing Logan standing in the door, staring at the emo, looking baffled.

“Mr. Sanders?” Virgil questioned, equally as puzzled.

“Well, what a coincidence this is. You know, I was a bit scared when Roman said he had met someone, but now that it’s you, I understand. I knew I had seen the jacket Roman was wearing previously, but I couldn’t quite remember who it had belonged to. The memory is clear now. I’m glad you two are partners, you were always my favorite.” Logan mused, smiling.

“Thank you, Mr. Sanders. You were my favorite as well.” Virgil mumbled, looking at the ground. The room was silent for a few seconds, before Roman finally said,

“Uh, what? Dad, you know Virgil?”

Virgil and Logan nodded.

“He used to be one of my students. He was one of the best, actually. However, he moved away during his sophomore year, much to my disappointment.” Logan explained. Virgil nodded.

“Yeah, my dad got a job out here, but I like my old school more. Your class was fun.” Virgil said casually.

“I appreciate that, Virgil.” Logan said, smiling widely.

“Ugh, are you telling me you used to live near me? This is frankly ridiculous, the world really does hate the gays.” Roman said annoyedly. Virgil chuckled.

“Not wrong. But, if I hadn’t moved here, I wouldn’t have met J. So it worked out in your brother’s favor.” Virgil added. Remus beamed, sliding off of the counter and walking over to Janus and wrapping himself in his arms.

“Right. Okay, as sickeningly sweet as you all are, my boyfriend happens to be back home, and I’d really like to get back to him, so could we get a move on?” Remy asked, staring at his phone screen.

Remus pouted, turning so he was gripping onto Janus tightly, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Janus smirked, giving the clingy man a comforting squeeze in return. Virgil watched the interaction with a smile, mouthing a quick, _you’re welcome_ , to his friend, before returning to his own partner.

“Well, how about this. Remy is right, we do have to go home,” Patton started, earning a groan from the four lovebirds. “ _But_ , maybe this will finally motivate one of you two to earn your drivers licenses so you can come visit them.” he said, gesturing to the twins.

“Oh, uh, I have mine.” Janus said, still holding Remus close to him.

“Well, perfect! You two are welcome to visit us any time then, if you’re willing to make the drive!” Patton said happily. It only took the snake taking one look at the man in his arms to smile, saying,

“Yeah, I think we will.”

Remus hummed happily, pulling away from the taller man.

“You better come see me, or else.” Remus scolded him, and everyone knew he was only half kidding.

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” Janus chuckled, brushing the smaller man’s hair out of his eyes.

“Aight, bye Janus, bye Virgil!” Remy called, still looking at his phone, and walking out to the car. Remus gave Janus one last tight hug before waving goodbye, following his brother.

“It was great to meet you, kiddos! Hope to see you soon!” Patton said, waving enthusiastically and walking out too.

“I am happy I saw you again, Virgil. I too would be happy to have you visit.” Logan agreed.

“Thanks, Mr. Sanders. Drive safe, I guess.” Virgil muttered, smiling softly. Logan nodded, following his husband.

“Well, goodbye again, dearest.” Roman said, moving to take off Virgil’s jacket and hand it back to him. The emo held out a hand to stop him.

“Keep it. It looks better on you anyway.” Virgil said, smiling. Roman blushed.

“I’m 100% sure that isn’t true, but I won’t argue with you. I’ve made the decision to trust you.”

“A terrible decision, really.” Virgil said under his breath. Roman’s eyes lit up.

“Did you just make a Disney reference?” He asked excitedly. Virgil shook his head.

“Don’t you have a family to join, dumbass?”

Roman just shrugged.

“Maybe so. But I promise, I’ll find you again. And this time, that’s a fact.” Roman whispered. Quickly, he pulled the flustered emo in for one last quick kiss, before waving goodbye to the pair, and walking out to catch his family.


End file.
